1. Position Paper on
Value of Technical Publications in
the Gaming and Entertainment
Industry
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3. Introduction
This paper systematically presents the need and the
TWB - Leading Technical Documentation
value of quality Technical Publications in the gaming
and entertainment industry of today. Outsourcing Company
TWB is a leading technical publisher with an excellent
The gaming industry, (popularly termed as interactive
record of providing unmatched technical
entertainment) has grown enormously over the past
documentation to many major companies.
decade, and continues to do so at a rapid pace.
Seamlessly merging with mainstream media by sheer
demand and revenue generating capabilities, the Technical publications created in the gaming industry
gaming and entertainment industry is now a part of today may range from production of a game’s
mainstream media culture. instruction booklet to information organization
documents that are essential for creation of video
games. These publications vary from Level Design
With customers demanding higher complexity and
documents and Concept documents, to Installation
realistic graphics, gaming is the fastest growing
Guides and Game Manuals.
industry amongst all sectors in the U.S. The U.S.
Bureau of Labor has forecasted that growth of
software publishing, (which encompasses video game TWB would be the ideal choice for leaders in the
design) will expand by about 67.9% between 2002 and Gaming and Entertainment industry. TWB helps
2012. customers with all their technical documentation needs
such as user guides, administration guides, installation
manuals, process and workflow documentation,
With due credit to its revenue generating powers, the
configuration documents and training materials.
industry still remains young. As of now, no significant
standardized documentation, or information
organization processes exist. The absence of a TWB works closely with client teams located globally,
standard process has underscored the importance of a and assists them in meeting their worldwide product
uniform and standardized way to document and announcements and launch deadlines. We work
organize information appropriately. A void is often round-the-clock with client teams and help them with
experienced between existing knowledge and the quick responses that facilitate timely distribution of
methods that are employed, with heavy reliance on documents around the globe.
documentation experts and Technical Communicators
to bridge this gap.
Technical Communicators help meet customer
demands and increase customer satisfaction. They “Knowledge is people, money, learning, flexibility
also provide marketing collaterals meant for and competitive advantage. Knowledge is more
promotional purposes as well as support selling. relevant to sustained business than capital or labor.
And yet knowledge remains the most neglected
With tremendous growth, flourish of technology, and asset of a business. TWB helps you unlock and
sufficient insulation from the Wall Street chaos, it is fair share your technical knowledge with the world.”
to predict that market conditions will be favorable for a
considerable length of time. Gaming now extends
beyond PCs, to mobile phones, handheld devices, and
other media.
“TWB believes that technology cannot exist
without being communicated effectively.”
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4. Gaming and Interactive Entertainment - Technical Publications
stry – Technical Publications
Gaming and Interactive Entertainment is a new, yet
flourishing industry that circumscribes various job Challenges and Solutions
descriptions and employs a sizeable number of personnel.
When other industries suffered drying up of funds, and
were victims of the Wall Street chaos, the gaming industry Some of the greatest documentation challenges that
has thrived. Sales of new systems from Nintendo, gaming industry faces today are:
Microsoft, and Sony, as well as hardware and game
accessories amassed almost $18 billion last year. This is a
43% increase, when compared to 2006, as per the industry  Creating Level Design and Concept documents
analyst NPD Group.  Catering to a varied audience
 Existing complexity of documents
 Maintaining accurate and quality gaming
documents
 Cost-cutting in various aspects
 Managing large volumes of documentation for new
game releases
 Shortening of development cycles
TWB’s long-standing, impeccable record in handling
various kinds of documentation, coupled with its multi-
domain industry expertise,, provides the following
solutions:
 Cost-effective knowledge documentation and
knowledge management
Major media players are also investing in the gaming  Integrated documentation process
industry. Disney has set forth $100 million for the creation  Simplified, multi-staged documentation and review
of games based on some of its movies. Nickelodeon processes
Division of MTV was planning to invest $100 million and  Virtualization of work space enabling fast track
add 1,600 games to its Web sites. reviews
Growing industries should have firm support functions in  Goal-driven approach to ensure quality and
place to facilitate the successful transition. These functions accuracy
guide the industry seamlessly into mainstream 
entertainment as a leading player. Benefits
“We're in the boom part of the cycle, games Association with TWB can immensely benefit game
companies have been growing rapidly and are companies in saving costs and creating professional
rationalizing acquisitions as a way to continue documents and marketing collaterals.
strengthening themselves.” - David Perry (gaming
entrepreneur and former game designer) TWB can help in:
 Knowledge transfer from experts to end user
 Breaking down complex information into an easy
“The primary purpose [of research] is to get
and understandable form
technical communicators thinking about design,
perhaps in a new way, and to lay the groundwork for
future research in this area. We believe that by “Development documents can be a key way of
analyzing the design of game applications, ‘holding the reins tightly’ on a project, to make sure
designers of business applications can gain insight it does not spin out of control because of the
into how to help their users learn while they impractical ambitions of team members." - Richard
complete their tasks." - Rob Houser and Scott Rouse (a computer game designer, writer, and
Deloach, (Game Researchers 1998) programmer)
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5. Value of Technical Publications
Technical Communication for Publications for Different Levels of
Transferring Product Knowledge Technical and Product Knowledge
ra
The purpose of technical communication is to transfer In technical publications, audience is the focal
product knowledge to end users in a comprehensible point. Hence, the style, language, and content
manner. The strategies of communication and levels of must vary depending on the type of audience
information vary depending on the type of product and being addressed. Every user has a specific role in
audience. the implementation and usage of the technology.
Therefore, it is important that documents be
Providing end users with information about a product’s created keeping in mind the role of the person who
operation and maintenance is critical to the market will use them.
performance of the product. Hence, the need for quality
documentation is imperative. For example, when you document for professional
gamers, who have played pervious versions of the
Often technical publications are developed as an game, it is sufficient to provide the quick reference
afterthought. This usually results in inaccurate and information to guide them into various levels.
incomprehensible documentation, which, in turn, renders
the users incapable of using the products. For users who start without technical or product
knowledge, or those who are trying the games for
Accurate, readily understandable, and quality documents the first time, it is important to provide detailed
determine how a product sells in the market and result in information along with instructions on how to go
increased customer satisfaction. about playing the game.
Faulty Assumptions that Result in Attractive Publications as Useful
Problems in Documentation Marketing Tools
The faulty assumptions listed below result in
incomprehensible documents: Besides transferring knowledge, technical publications
are also used for marketing a product. Before a
 Developers know their products better than anyone product is released in the market, information about
else – due to time constraints and limited resources, the product needs to be effectively communicated to
many companies assign their documentation tasks to the customers.
the programmers. This more often results in the
creation of technology-centered information, while Well-designed, accurately presented, and attractive
end users require task-oriented information. marketing collaterals increase the market prospects of
a product and reduce support costs.
 Documentation of complex applications implies a
longer learning curve for the writer - learning the
product will not be a major obstacle for writers with
the right technical background.
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6. Conclusion
 Immense Growth in the Gaming and Entertainment Industry: The gaming industry, also known as interactive
entertainment, has demonstrated enormous growth over the last decade, and is continuously growing at a rapid
pace. Any growing industry heavily relies on quality, precise, and a well-timed documentation process. Gaming
and Entertainment now portrays a global presence, and needs technical publications that help it capture various
markets and establish a global footprint. The industry also requires the support of both technical documents such
as level-design documents as well as marketing collaterals, which promote support selling.
 Technical Publication brings value to Gaming Industry: Technical Publications quintessentially transfer
product knowledge to end users. Providing a proper understanding about products and games, equips end-users
to efficiently use the product. Documenting and organizing information are crucial aspects of game design. With
the absence of uniform and standardized processes, the need to organize information and substantially support
development process is the need of the hour. It is important to have quality documentation processes in place
which replace faulty assumptions and create accurate and comprehensible material. Effective publications
provide reach to various markets, increase revenue, and establish a global presence.
 Documentation Outsourcing is the key: The complexity involved in game and product design, necessitates
the gaming and entertainment industry to consider outsourcing documentation to well-established Technical
Publications Solution providers. By outsourcing their documentation needs, gaming companies can significantly
cut costs, and deliver games/ other products with quality documents supporting them.
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7. TWB Services
TWB is India’s leader in technical communication outsourcing and education. TWB offers a complete suite of services that allow
our customers to effectively publish their technical knowledge with their people and processes. TWB’s customers range from
Global 500 – including Cisco, Accenture, McAfee, LG, Samsung, Citrix, SAP, Siemens, AOL, Intel; Indian technology majors –
including Infosys, Wipro; Global defense majors - Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell, DRDO, HAL; and exciting technology startups.
TWB's expertise in technical communication ranges from IT Products and Outsourcing, ITES, Banking, Financial, Aerospace,
Defense, Ship Building to Hi-tech Manufacturing, and Discrete and Process Manufacturing.
TWB’s services include:
Technical Marketing Technical Product Documentation Quality
Solutions Documentation Management
 Datasheets
 Administrator’s Guide
 Datasheets  Copy Editing and Proof Reading
 API Document
 Cheat sheets  Managing Writing
 Configuration Guide
 Solution Briefs/Solution Brochures  Editing Services
 Functional Specifications Document
 Presentations – Products/Corporate  Layout and Design
Profile  Installation Manual
 Creating SLAs
 Brochures and marketing collateral  Interface Document
 Web content  Interactive Electronic Technical Manual
(IETM)
Business Documentation
 Audio and video scripts
 Maintenance Manual  Business Proposals
 Press releases
 Online Help  Legal Disclaimers
 Direct mail
 Operation Manual  Policy Manuals
 Newsletter design copy
 Product Demo  Style Guide Design
 Sales catalogues
 Product Specifications Document  Template Design
 Sales sheets
 Product Overview Document
 Quick Reference Guide
Business Communication Content Management
 Release Notes
 Short Reports  Requirement Analysis Document
 Single Sourcing
 Proposals  SDK Document
 File Version Control
 Case Studies  Troubleshooting Manual
 Document Naming Conventions
 Lab Reports  User Manual
 Consistent Document Formatting
 Memos  Open Source Documentation
 Data Transformation
 Progress/Interim Reports  Programmers Guides
 Writing for Electronic Media  Functional Specifications Document
 Use Cases Web site Development
Illustrations  Online Help /Context Sensitive Help
 Web 2.0 development
 Troubleshooting Guides
 Graphic Designing  Web content

 Info graphics  Web applications
Qualitative Analytics for
 2D & 3D animation
Decision Support Translation and Localization
 Line drawings and illustrations
Services
 Economic Business Research
Process Documentation  Industry Analysis  Software Translation Services
 Workflows  Market Opportunity Analysis  Document Translation Services
 Standard Operating Procedures  Competitive Business Analysis  Localization (L10N) Testing
 ISO Documentation  Company & Prospect Profiling  Internationalization (I18N) Testing
 CMM Documentation  Reporting Solutions
 Assessment of Unmet Market Needs Records Management
Deployment and Support  Status and Potential of Technologies
 Document Management Solutions
 Benchmarking of Strategies Vs
Competition  Record Management Storage and
 Installation and Configuration Guides
Retrieval
 Operations Manual  Forecasting
 Sales Force Effectiveness
 Market Assessments
 Competitive Intelligence
 Opinion Leadership
 Emerging Markets - evaluation and
research
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8. TWB Software Tools Expertise
Our technical proficiency in software and authoring tools includes:
Unstructured Content XML Structured Editors Multimedia /Authoring
Development
 Epic  Adobe Flash®
 Microsoft Word®  FrameMaker+SGML  Adobe Dreamweaver®
 Adobe FrameMaker®  X-Metal®  Microsoft FrontPage®
 Adobe InDesign®  Adobe Captivate®
 QuarkXPress® Macromedia Captivate
 Adobe PageMaker® Graphics/Animations
 Multimedia /Authoring /
Illustrations  Adobe Flash® Supporting tools
 Adobe Photoshop®
 Adobe Flash CS4 Professional  Adobe Fireworks®  Adobe Flash®
 Adobe Illustrator CS3  Adobe Flex®
 CorelDRAW  Adobe AIR®
Online Help
 Microsoft-Expression Graphic  Adobe Dreamweaver®
Designer  Adobe Acrobat®
 Xara Xtreme (Windows & Linux)  JavaHelp
 Microsoft Silverlight®
 CuteDraw  Adobe RoboHelp 7.0
 Adobe Authorware®
 Publisher3D(for animation)  HelpScribble
 Adobe Director®
 Sketsa SVG Editor (for vector  WebWorks Publisher
 Adobe Captivate®
graphics)  PowerCHM
 Trivantis Lectora®
 Techsmith Camtasia  Doc-To-Help
 ASP.NET
 Arbortext IsoDraw (technical  WinCHM
 JSP
illustrations for 2D and 3D)  HelpSmith 2.1.1(Windows)
 JAVA
 Fast-Help
 MadCap Flare Standards
Graphics/Animation  Help-Server
 NVU Help
 SCORM 1.2 / 2004
 Adobe Flash®  AICC
 Adobe Photoshop®
XML
 W3C
 Adobe Illustrator®  Section 508
 Adobe Fireworks®  XMetal®  QTI XML
 Microsoft Silverlight®  Microsoft Word 2003®,
 Microsoft Word 2007®
Databases Development and Publishing
tools
CMS/LMS
 Microsoft Access  XSLT/XSL
 Microsoft SQL Server  EDD
 Sharepoint®
 Moodle
Flowcharting  Joomla,
 WordPress
 Microsoft Visio  Media Wiki
 iGrafx  CMS Builder
 EDraw  Author-it (formerly AuthorIT)
 RFFlow  Alfresco
 Flowbreeze
 Smart Draw
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9. Industries Served
TWB services a wide range of technology and knowledge-driven industries, helping them meet their markets better:
 Banking, Insurance and Financial Services  ITES/ KPO/ BPO
 Consulting and Business Services  Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
 Defense, Aerospace and Hi-Tech Manufacturing  Process Manufacturing and Allied Industries
 Education and Learning  Steel, Ship Building, Construction and Aviation
 IT, ITES  Telecom and Digital Communications
TWB has been the preferred technical documentation outsourcing company for:
The TWB Building US Office:
No: 4062, 19th Main Road, TWB
HAL 2nd Stage, 11701 Norwegian Wood Drive
Bangalore – 560008 Austin, TX 78758
India.
Landmark: Behind Carlton Towers
Telephone: Telephone:
+91.80.40741400 / +91.80.41256367 +1.512.586.8357
Corporate Enquiries: corp@twb.in
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